About the winery

Inniskillin established an estate winery in the Okanagan in 1994, commemorating 20 years of Inniskillin's first crush. The labels were designed by a local artist, and great care was taken to ensure that the labels reflected the Native heritage. The label inspired the naming of Inniskillin's estate vineyard: Dark Horse Vineyard. Featured prominently on the label is the famous McIntyre Bluff, known in Indian legend as the Chief. The Okanagan Valley climatic region is much drier than Niagara and is unique as a grape-growing region in western Canada. The valley is at the same latitude as the Rhine Valley in Germany and the Champagne region of France. The region stretches for 130 km, from Lake Osoyoos, on the 49 degrees north latitude, just north of the Canada/US border, to the northern tip of Okanagan Lake. The lakes moderate the valley's temperatures throughout the year. Intense sunlight and minimal rainfall allow the grapes to ripen to full maturity, while cool nights help them retain high acidity. These climatic conditions, along with a unique soil structure, produce wines that are full-bodied and highly flavoured with good acidity.